


Awaiting the Dawn of X

by HandmaidenOfHorror



Series: Nonfiction and Metafiction Archive [4]
Category: New Mutants (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Gen, Nonfiction, Reading Guide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 10:40:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21014432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HandmaidenOfHorror/pseuds/HandmaidenOfHorror
Summary: A reading guide for X-Men comics in the wake of the franchise’s relaunch.





	Awaiting the Dawn of X

To coincide with mutants entering the MCU, Marvel is relaunching their whole mutant franchise. X-Men have been the publisher most popular property, and unlike other superhero franchises they were blessed with several talented writers dedicated to create a linear storyline. Thankfully, those storylines can be distilled into several stories. Below is my selection of the most important mutant storylines in chronological order:

_Uncanny X-Men #129-142_

_Magik #1-4_

Chris Claremont at his finest. Those Uncanny chapters feature the classic Dark Phoenix and Days of Future Past stories, introducing a handful of characters, with Jane Grey and Kitty Pryde being central characters. The following miniseries features Ororo Munroe and Illyana Rasputin, character associated with New Mutants (who will appear in the upcoming New Mutants movie).

_God Loves, Man Kills_

_Magneto Testament #1-5_

GLMK is Claremont’s another cult classic storyline introducing Reverend Stryker as a villain and focusing on Kitty Pryde. It also features Magneto’s first heroic portrayal. Magneto Testament is a miniseries presenting the villain’s backstory, and while it’s pretty sugar-coating horrifying history, it nonetheless adds much depth to Magneto’s character.

_New X-Men #114-116_

_New X-Men Annual_

_New X-Men #117-154_

A long run by Grant Morrison introduces Emma Frost as a heroine and Xorn, a pacifist with nuclear powers, who will be very important in the story. Morrison’s run focuses on Charles Xavier, Logan Howlett, Scott Summer and Emma Frost. It features a plenty of science fiction plots, and builds upon themes of God Loves, Man Kills.

_House of X #1-6_

_Powers of X #1-6_

Two miniseries by Jonathan Hickman combine into a single story. It starts with House of X, with Professor X and Magneto establishing a mutant nation on the sentient island of Krakoa (why exactly those and other characters are still around is explained within series), and goes into Powers of X, a miniseries featuring Moira MacTaggert in a groundhog day from hell, repeating her live in manner similar to how Rika Furude did in When Cicadas Cry. The reading order for this story goes as follows:

  1. _House of X_ #1: "The House that Xavier Built"
  2. _Powers of X_ #1: "The Last Dream of Professor X"
  3. _House of X_ #2: "The Uncanny Life of Moira X"
  4. _Powers of X_ #2: "We Are Together Now, You and I"
  5. _Powers of X_ #3: "This Is What You Do"
  6. _House of X_ #3: "Once More unto the Breach"
  7. _House of X_ #4: "It Will Be Done"
  8. _Powers of X_ #4: "Something Sinister"
  9. _House of X_ #5: "Society"
  10. _Powers of X_ #5: "For the Children"
  11. _House of X_ #6: "I Am Not Ashamed"
  12. _Powers of X_ #6: "House of X"

Upon this storyline, Dawn of X will be build. There will be several series published, out of which the ones I am anticipating the most are The Marauders, featuring an Emma Frost sponsored team of pirates including Kitty Pryde, Iceman and Storm fighting to free mutants in less than legal ways. Another interesting title for me is New Mutans, featuring Magik and Mirage (Fearless Defenders, Exiled crossover event featuring Loki), among others. The multinational make-up of the team serves as a spiritual successor for Claremont’s X-Men run. Marauders debut on October 23, 2019, while New Mutants on November 6, 2019.

Additional reading:

_Ultimate X-Men #1-12_

This story presents a revised origin for both the X-Men the Brotherhood of Mutants, as well as the Weapon X organization, as part of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe. It serves as a pretty good introduction to the characters, as different as they may be. The following stories don’t live up to the hype of the first year, though.

_Iceman Vol 3 #1-11_

_Iceman Vol 4 #1-5_

_X-Men: Winter’s End Special_

And now for something completely different, a story of a young gay man who happens to have superpowers. Plot-light and character-heavy, they are nonetheless pretty unique and very enjoyable.

_Exiled_ #1

_Journey into Mystery_ #637

_New Mutants_ Vol 3 #42

_Journey into Mystery_ #638

_New Mutants_ Vol 3 #43

A crossover story between New Mutants and Loki, it serves as a good introduction to the team.


End file.
